Sign.



J. J. JONES.

SIGN.

I APPLICATION FILED TUNE Z3, 1908. I 1,006,483, Patented 001.2411911.

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l (i5 l /0 ff' \7 7 5 a "f2 COLUMBIA PLANMRIAPH c0.,w^su|Nn'roN n c J.J. JONES.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1908. 1,006,483. Patented Oct. 24, 1911 y 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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@if WQ COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPI! c0,.wAsH|NnToN. 1L c" JOSHUA J. JONES, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

Application led June 23, 1908. Serial No. 439,945.

To all 'wwm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSHUA J. JONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county iof Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSigns, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention refers to improvements in illuminating signs, preferablyelectric, and has for its object to provide means for obscuring thesupply lamps, partially confining the rays, diffusing the light, andproviding boundary slots or fissures for the emission of the rays for anight sign, while providing a flat faced prominent day sign of greatutility and advantage.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a view in elevation of a signcharacter made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection on the line II. II. of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section onthe line III. III. of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a similar section, showing adouble faced sign. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 3 showing theshield provided with edge flanges. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. lbut showing the light inclosing walls and shield as made in oneconstruction. Fig. 7 is a crossl section on the line VII. VII. of Fig.6.

Illuminating signs of the general class in. which my invention is animprovement are provided with continuous series or lines of individuallamps, defining the characters,

and set upon a background, usually white,` within light-confining wallswhich extendl outwardly at each side of the lamps, beyond l a. vase,usually black.

rIhe lamp-bearing background and the inner faces of the walls,contrasting in color from the base, define the outline of the signcharacter by contrast for day use whether the lamps be inserted or not,while for night use the successful operation of the sign depends largelyfor complete efficiency not only on the continuity of the closelyadacters are necessarily rendered incomplete for night use, while thesign for day use consists necessarily of the deeply recessedlamp-containing channels formed by the thin projecting walls extendingbeyond the main base.

The object of my invention is to provide a sign having outer flat facesin relief in contrast with a supporting base, combined with thelight-containing channels with outlining light-emitting slots orfissures, whereby the individual lamps will be concealed and their raysconned, reflected and diffused in increased intensity therethrough, ashereinafter described.

In the principal figures of the drawings, 2 represents any convenientbase of sheet metal or other suitable material, upon which are builtoutwardly therefrom the characterdefining walls 3 which are ordinarilyof sheet metal, extending outwardly to a uniform height beyond the base.Within the defining channel 4 thus formed are mounted the lamp bases 5on base 2, suitably wired from the back or in any operable manner tosuit the construction, adapted to receive the series of lamps 6 and soarranged that the lamps will be distributed generally along the channelor channels 4 to substantially outline the character.

7 is a front shield or mask mounted between the walls 3 at or about thesame general level as their front edges in any suitable or convenientmanner to permit of opening or closing the lamp` cavity. I have shownthe shield as pivoted at one end by means Iof one or more hinge pins 8set in the walls 3 and secured at the other end by similar pins 9,preferably removable, to permit the shield to be turned upon hinges'S toopen the interior cavity 4. rIhe width of the shield 7 is madesufficiently less than the width of the cavity 4, and its length iscorrespondingly shortened, so that whe-n the shield is located inposition, midway of the space between the walls it will leave aoontinuous intervening slot or fissure 10 entirely surrounding theshield and within the outer walls 3.

rlhe object of this construction is that the individual lamps will beobscured and their aggregate volume of light will be confined within thecavity 4 and diffused in a composite ray through the slot l0. The signcharacter is thus defined by inner and outer continuous lines of greatbrilliancy which be seen that the light will be equally difwithbackwardly extending flanges l1 of l having the backwardly extendingsides 3a to the obscur-ing of the individual lamps, and

vand back by lshields 7 and 7 with correarer'set upon the inner face ofsaid shields 'c and provided with the lamps' inthe same are sharplydefined when viewed fromY a close distance while as the dist-ance isincreased, the shield itself appears to disappear so that the entire.face of each mainy member of the character has the appearance of acontinuous band of light. This is due a feature of great advantage isthat the sign does not depend for efficiency upon the continuity of aseries of closely adjacent lamps, but lthat the number of lamps for anygiven area of a sign is `greatly reduced. Also, that i-n the case oflburning out, breakage, orremoval of one or more lamps, the continuityof the defining rays is merely lessened in degree without interrupting'or marri'ng the eect as is the 'case Where the formation 4of the signcharacter depends largely upon the actual presence and indi# vidualoperation of each lamp. The outer fa'ce of shield 7 is of a colorcontrasting to that `of the face of base 2, preferably white, and whenused as a "day sign presents a continuous fiat face practically evenwith the 'outer edges of the walls, of a good and finished appearance,while the slots 10 add variety and interest to the character itself'either with or without the interior light.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modied construction in which the walls 3vextend through and beyond the base 2 at each side, and in which thecavity t is closed at front spending light slots l0V corresponding4 tothose above described. The lamp bases 5 7 'as shown 'and by thisarrangement it will fused in both directions, rendering the signoperable at each side and doubling its efficiency.

Fig. 5 shows the front shield 7 as provided sufficient depth to cut off'the direct ray of the lamps through the slot l0 when viewed diagonally.l

In Figs. 6 and 7 the outline of the character defined by -a flat faced4base 'set upon any lsuitable support as a wire screen;

general manner as already described. The4 shield or mask consists of thefront face 7a* integral with or attached to the front, and the shield asthus made is mounted out-- wardly in front of the base b upon supports iCopies of this patent may be `obtained for ve cents .Washingtom I). C.

or bearings 12 of any suitable kind, with the pins already described. Insuch construction the light slot 13 is located immediately in front ofthe base Z) whereby the light will be refiected from the projectingedges 14 of the base, clearly defining the character in the same mannergenerally as has been above described.

It will be understood that the invention may be greatly changed ormodified in construction or design to suit different condi-l tions ofuse, and may be applied to any de- 'sign of sign, device, ornamentalborder, or emblem; lor the device may be otherwise varied by 'theskilled mechanic, but all such changes are to be considered as withinthe 4scope of the following claims.

What I claim is l. In a sign, the -combination of a fiat refiectingbase, a fiat character-defining shield parallel therewith, straightwalls located outwardly beyond the base at right angles to the base andshield and forming with the base and shield defining light slots whichsurround the shield, and light furnishing means located behind andobscured by the shield, said shield and base having cont-rasting colors,substantially as set forth.

2. In a` sign, the combination of a flat refleeting base, outwardlyextending charac :ter-defining walls at right angles to the base, an'obscuring shield parallel with the .base and located outwardly beyondthe base between said walls with an intervening defining slot conformingto the outline of the shield land walls, and light furnishing meanslocated behind land obscured by the shield, said base also beingprovided with a defining slot kbetween it and said walls, `substantiallyas set forth.

` 3. In a sign, the combination of a flat reflecting base, outwardlyextending characterdefining walls at right angles to the base and spacedaway therefrom to provide a defining light emission slot, an obscuringshield parallel with and outwardly beyond the base between said walls,and light furnishing means located behind and obscured by the shield,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

